Schools going mobile: A study of the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in Western Australian independent schools

Abstract

<p>This paper reports on the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in ten Western Australian independent schools, based on interviews with staff conducted in 2011. iPads were the most popular device, followed by iPod Touches and iPhones. Class sets were common at lower levels, with 1:1 models becoming increasingly common at higher levels. Mobile learning, or m-learning, was still at an experimental stage in most schools, but common themes were already emerging around the need to integrate mobile devices into a broader learning ecology. Key discussions focused on their role in promoting consumption or production, collaboration or personalisation, and creating seamless learning spaces. Used for both organisational and pedagogical purposes, mobile devices were seen as enhancing student motivation, with empirical evidence of improved student learning also emerging in small-scale studies conducted by two schools. Challenges included the need to carefully manage the technology, ethical issues in its use, and staff roles in its deployment. Pedagogically grounded and adequately contextualised professional development (PD) was seen as vital for time-poor staff, while a desire to set up a professional community of practice was widely expressed. All the schools surveyed planned to extend their use of mobile handheld technologies in the future.</p>

Comparing Tablets and PCs in teaching Mathematics: An attempt to improve Mathematics Competence in Early Childhood Education

“…Mathematical operations in conjunction with the contribution of ICT not only facilitate the development of mathematical thinking in young children, but also encourage the creation of new teaching methods which are expected to radically change the way that the teaching of mathematical concepts takes place in early childhood (Pegrum et al, 2013). In the context of developing early mathematical thinking, even the use of "drill and practice" software can help children develop their mathematical skills in basic math concepts (Clements, 2002;Clements, & Sarama, 2007;Siraj-Blatchford & Whitebread, 2003).…”

“…Despite the initial wavering and debates (Cordes & Miller, 2000), most educational institutions and researchers nowadays support the rational integration of information and communications technology (ICT) in early childhood education (Murray & Olcese, 2011;OECD, 2013;Pegrum, Oakley, & Faulkner, 2013;Peirce, 2013). Kerckaert, Vanderlinde, & van Braak (2015) distinguish between two types of ICT use in early childhood education: 'ICT use supporting basic ICT skills and attitudes', and 'ICT use supporting contents and individual learning needs'.…”

Nuevos procesos de interactividad e interacción social: uso de smartphones en estudiantes y docentes universitarios

“…Lo que se ha denominado aprendizaje móvil (mobile learning o m-learning) aún no está completamente esclarecido, pues no se han identificado las claves que lo definen y caracterizan. En efecto, a nivel teórico se observa una escasez de investigaciones y publicaciones en torno al uso de la tecnología portátil en educación (Pegrum et al 2013). Al respecto, Kearney, Schuck, Burden y Aubusson (2012), aseveran que el aprendizaje móvil es un fenómeno relativamente nuevo, las bases teóricas que lo sustentan están en desarrollo y gran parte de las aproximaciones se han hecho desde las características tecnológicas, en desmedro de una perspectiva pedagógica.…”

“…En los últimos años se han realizado una gran cantidad de estudios a nivel internacional que destacan la rápida expansión y uso de las tecnologías portátiles en el ámbito educativo (Gómez y Martínez, 2008;Brazuelo y Cacheiro, 2010;Romero, 2011;Crovi Duettra, Garay Cruz, López González y Portillo Sánchez, 2011;Kossuth y Levine, 2011;UNESCO, 2012;Merchant, 2012;Pegrum, Oakley y Faulkner, 2013;Guo, Fu, Yin, Yuan, Zhang y Gao, 2013). Este fenómeno es particularmente notorio entre las nuevas generaciones, en quienes se observa una mayor tendencia hacia la posesión y uso de recursos tecnológicos tales como asistentes personales digitales (PDA), dispositivos de almacenamiento de datos, teléfonos celulares, tabletas, smartphones, entre otros.…”

“…Tal como lo recomiendan Pegrum et al (2013), se requieren investigaciones que indaguen qué recursos tecnológicos portátiles se están usando en la actualidad, en cuáles niveles educativos se utilizan, cómo están siendo integrados en distintas áreas de conocimiento, qué beneficios se observan y cuáles son los desafíos a los que se enfrenta la inserción de estos recursos en el ámbito educativo.…”